Ridges swimming in a sea of dust (Released 16 January 2003)

The muted terrain of northern Acidalia Planitia testifies to the fact that the region is heavily mantled with dust. The most interesting features in this image are the small terraces located along the flanks of the ridges and the patterned ground seen at the base of the largest ridge (upper right). These features appear to be classic examples of periglacial landforms and may indicate the presence of shallow subsurface ice.